The LPGA Tour’s gender eligibility policy change is drawing fiery backlash from transgender golfers
Hailey Davidson, a transgender golfer who hoped to make it to the pros, responded on social media as the LPGA Tour revised its gender eligibility policy on Wednesday.
Davidson competed on the NXXT Tour before the organization changed its gender participation rules and he was fired. Now, Davidson’s possible path to the LPGA or Epson Tours is closed. Davidson competed at Q School in the fall in hopes of earning an LPGA Tour card.
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Transgender golfer Hailey Davidson during the pre-qualifying round of the LPGA Q-Series. (Riley Gaines/X)
“Can’t say I didn’t see this coming. Banned from Epson and LPGA,” Davidson wrote in an Instagram Stories post. “All the peace and people who want to remain ‘neutral’ thank you for nothing. This happened because of all your peace.
“And somehow people are surprised that the suicide rate for transgender people is about 50%. Situations like this are part of the reason.”
The LPGA Tour said in a news release that overage male players are barred from competing on the LPGA Tour, Epson Tour, Ladies European Tour and all other major LPGA tournaments.
TRANS COMPETITIVE GOLFER HAILEY DAVIDSON ‘PRAYS’ FOR CHANGES AT LPGA TOUR
The LPGA and LET logos during the ISPS Handa World Invitational in Ballymena, Antrim, United Kingdom, on Aug. 18, 2023. (Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile via Getty Images)
“Players who are male at birth and who have passed their youth are not eligible to participate in the events mentioned above,” said the organization. “The policies governing the LPGA’s recreational programs and non-professional events use different criteria to provide opportunities for participation by the broader LPGA community.”
The announcement came after two professional golfers and a retired golfer asked the association to change its rules.
“Golf provides opportunities for all athletes to compete at elite and emerging levels,” the LPGA Tour said. “Individual competitions are often classified as ‘women’s events,’ which have specific eligibility requirements, or ‘open events,’ where any player, regardless of gender, is eligible to compete.”
Outgoing LPGA Commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan said the policy change is based on science.
Commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan speaks to the gallery after the final round of the LPGA Ford Championship, March 31, 2024, in Gilbert, Arizona. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin, File)
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“Our policy reflects a comprehensive, science-based and inclusive approach,” said Marcoux Samaan. “The policy represents our ongoing commitment to ensuring that all feel welcome in our organization, while maintaining the fairness and competitive edge of our high-level competitions.”
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